Hello Allen and All,
Allen wrote:
 All these bees are far  from me, and separated from me by a  border with an
embargo against  importation.

Many thought the same about the release in Brazil in 1957. Time is on your
side and possibly climate but I would not count on border and embargo for
protection.

 Perhaps you think that because I recently examined the Lusby
> bees and had an article published about my observations, that I am on that
'side'.

I never thought you were on any side and found the article well written and
interesting.

 I'm just interested in the objective, unvarnished and
> unspun truth.

Without a closer look at what is going on in Arizona we will never get to
the bottom of the issue.

As a small orchard owner I never forget the time I was called to a friends
house to tell him why his fruit tree was losing all its leaves. When we took
a close look the tree was crawling with catapillers. Too late  to save the
leaves and the problem could have been stopped  quickly if he had walked up
for a closer observation instead of only looking at the tree from his
kitchen window. You took a close look at the Lusby bees and saw no problems.
I respect your opinion but not the inspection I would like to see.


> If what you have claimed can be supported in full, that makes your input
very interesting and worthy of discussion.
 If on the other hand, your  claims are exaggerations and
misinterpretations, then we need to know.

I would like to find out if the scope of the problem is smaller than I
understood it to be. I welcome Dr. Hoffmans input. Pseudo queens have been
reported in Texas since the AHB arrived but on a smaller scale.
Even if the pseudo queen problem is small now over the next decade the
problem could get serious. Let us look at the problem now and take steps to
correct the problem if we can.
Or at least understand the problem better.

> You have been repeatedly asked to provide any credible documentation for
your serious charges and have refused to take any effort to do so, but
rather have just repeated and even expanded them.

I am working long hours like you are and my time is limited. I find typing
away on BEE-L about my only free time. I should have tried to contact Dr.
Hoffman but figured with Blane coming forward and saying what I was the
question of what Dr. Hoffman said was over.

Blane warned me  not to try to link capensis traits with capensis genes
which I did . Dr. Hoffman never said capensis genes only capensis  traits.
The link was only hypothesis by me. I accept full blame  for the connection
.

Genes are the building blocks of bees. It seems logical to me that a bee
with the laying worker traits of capensis when we know capensis is the only
bee in the world with such that capensis type  genes cause such
developement. (Dr. Kerr)

Blane had the courage to stand up with me and say from the Hoffman talk in
Savannah he got the same impression I did.  Maybe we did misunderstand her
but I do not think so.

  As for any correspondance I might have with any of the
> scientists involved beyond statements provided for release, that is NOYB.

I take NOYB to mean "none of yo beeswax"

>I  try to be discreet.

I hope I do not regret letting you approach Dr. Hoffman instead of Blane or
I.

> If there is any credibility to your interpretation, Bob, we will all thank
> you.  If not, then you may have to apologise.

Apologize for what. I know what I heard . I saw the slides. I heard her
assessment of the situation. You heard Mike A. saying the USDA made plans to
look at the problem in the year 2000. I am not backing off my position.

So far nothing you or Dee has provided to the discussion have changed my
opinion of the situation.

I  do hope to connect in about fifteen minutes with a well known researcher
by phone for a private discussion about my suspicions.
 Go over the whole problem and get his input.  I never thought the
researcher would agree to talk to me but he did.

I believe Dr. Hoffman will respond back.

Bob

Ps. I find it curious that Beltsville (does most the testing for beekeepers)
and Baton Rouge (home of the SMR project) could not keep funding but a bee
lab in AHB area keeps its and a grant is given to Cornell for AHB research.
A excellent point raised in the discussion by Allen!